Does anyone actualy go train spotting now ?

Question

Whats the appeal in doing so, i cant figure it out?

Answer 1

All the "smart" answerers who have been taking the mickey here have missed one important thing: Were it not for a number of train enthusiasts a few years ago, there would be no preserved steam railways, and thus a good deal of our heritage would have been lost forever. Even in this day and age of diesel and electric traction, enthusiasts are already preserving those for the younger generations to see and climb all over in the depots as well as ride behind.
Just realise that most of these rail enthusiasts started their days as young trainspotters, so whether the car racing footballing wrestling and other whingeing merchants like it or not, it's not such a pointless hobby as some of you think!
A railway enthusiast can boast saving some part of our railway system. Can somebody tell me, for instance, what sportsmen/women have left for our children to cherish - and that's only for STARTERS!

Answer 2

First of all, you need to be trained - no matter who you are, you will be managing the leash, and should be the leader of the pack. No more tricks or bouncing around - you are teaching her bad manners by doing that - you need to either find a good basic training book (see What All Good Dogs Should Know, a very good, short and funny book)- and make sure you follow ALL of it. Tricks are learned once the obedience basics are done - just like any school you need to do your homework first. Find a good obedience class as soon as possible - ask at the vet. They will teach you by doing, which is very important. If it doesn't seem to be working, find another trainer. Go to the pet supply and get a Gentle Leader - and take your dog so they can help you fit it properly. Watch the video that comes with it. It is an extremely good tool - not cheap- but will help you control such a large dog, and give you a promotion in the pack order. No doubt at the moment she looks upon you as a playmate, and does not respect you. the Gentle Leader will give you the leverage you need over her size, and help you control her as you need to do to keep you both safe. It is incredibly important tat you get on this right away - the fact that your asking tlls me that you have started to recognize things could get out of control in an uncomfortable way. You are correct. This is the age that many dogs are turned into recue because their owners get overwhelmed, or the dogs start to get into trouble. Get a Gentle Leader, the book, and go to an obedience class as soon as possible, and you could very well be saving your dog's life. And then you can teach her tricks.

Answer 3

There are still a lot of spotters around, Instead of Steam trains they now look out for various classes of Diesel/Electric and write down the numbers and take pics.
England still has some dedicated spotters who sit around various tracks recording the engine types and even how many carriages or trucks were connected. How many engines up at the head and the rear is also important.
If you want to take up the hobby don't hang around your local track as all you will get are singles. You need an Interstate line or Cross border line to find the best collections and classes.

To get some idea of the registration range contact your Railway office for the details they will inform you of the list available. then you can just tick them off and take a pic to add to your scrapbook. Beats Bird spotting anyday and is a good day out!

Answer 4

Of course they do, and DDTS (etc) has the only sensible answer here. People also go plane spotting, and I dare say, ship spotting. Some people even, heaven forfend, go and watch tin cans chase each other round Formula 1 and Nascar circuits. I've seen a vintage bus as well. Why criticise someone for doing something they enjoy - at least they're not dressed in hoodies and assaulting some old guy (like me) and filming it on there horrid little camera phones.

Answer 5

All sorts of hobbies seem perverse and incomprehensible to outsiders. Personally I've never seen the point of, for instance, from a very large potential list, fishing and tennis. I can't see the attraction of either - yet clearly millions do find them fascinating.
Who are you or anyone else to say that train spotting is pointless. At least spotters are out in the fresh air and travelling round the country keeping themselves occupied. 'Sad' people are those with no hobby - or those whose idea of a fun day out is going shopping.

Answer 6

The sad thing is, he can't spell actually.

All too ready to point the finger, encouraging people to take the mick, but can't spell a simple word like that. He also used the wrong case for I and missed the apostrophes in what's and can't.

I bet he drools with the overgrown schoolkids in Top Gear as they ogle their automotive penis extensions. Watches WWF with rapt attention, believing everything they try to say and thinks Big Brother is better than watching paint dry.

OK they're only spotting diesels and electrics, but they do no harm.

Answer 7

As far as I know they do. Although, a lot of them prefer to be called railway enthusiasts rather than train spotters. I quote my Dad who was raised in Exeter very close to a station: A train spotter is a dirty little boy with a dirty little train book, and a railway enthusiast is a big clean boy with a big clean train book. I was raised near railways, but have never been train spotting as such. I love trains, though. Yep, us girls like trains, too.

Answer 8

Modern traction lacks the atmosphere of the old steam types.
Plus after the war years we never had computers, gameboys
sterio's etc. It was an interesting day out and always the chance you might get invited onto the footplate, not very often!
You could experience the atmosphere by going to a preserved
railway, like the severn valley, Bluebell, west somerset, etc.
Also, try gandering this website, and don't tell me it didn't make
you go weak at the knees!
www.steamtraingalleries.co.uk/link.html
Happy surfing. Dan

Answer 9

I go out and watch trains every day, it is probably the power or the lenght of the train that makes people watch them.
I enjoy taking photos and video taping them for myself and my kids.
It's a hobby that is not expensive and you can do it close to home.
My kids get so excited when a train goes by so that is the reason I think it is worth it, just the look on their faces.

Answer 10

I go out to take photographs most Saturdays and on weekdays during the school holidays. The one thing that annoys me most though is that we get called 'trainspotters' which is used by most other kids to be offensive, 'railway enthusiast' I think is a much better name to use. I am sort of going off it though now because of railways staff 'bullying' and 'stopping me for terrorist actions' when all I'm doing is enjoying what I enjoy the most. It really isn't fare now.